Retired Donegal garda brings High Court action over Gaeltacht allowance

A retired garda sergeant from Donegal has been granted High Court permission to seek judicial review of An Garda Síochána's handling of his application to restore a Gaeltacht allowance. Paul Wallace, formerly stationed in Letterkerry, applied in January 2023 to have the allowance reinstated following the 2020 designation of Letterkenny as a Gaeltacht service town. He claims the force has failed to determine his application, preventing him from pursuing an internal appeal and affecting his pension entitlements. Mr Wallace received the allowance for four years from 2003 and states he has provided service to the Gaeltacht community since 2002, including Irish-language media work. He retired in March 2024 without receiving a decision, resulting in an alleged loss of over €8,700 in gratuity and reduced monthly pension payments. He contends the delay breaches fair procedures and constitutes unlawful administrative action. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty granted leave for the judicial review application, with the matter adjourned to October.